Wagon-bolster spring



(No Model.)

' E. CLIFF.

WAGON-BOLSTBR SPRING, No. 431,251. Patented July 1, 1890.

WlTNESSESI I INVENTUB "ATTOFINEYS".

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD CLIFF, OF NYAOK, NEWV YORK.

WAGON-BOLSTER SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,251, dated July 1,1890.

Ap licatio fil d January 24, 1890. Serial No. 337,913- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLIFF, of Nyaek, in the county of Rockland,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inlVagon-Bolster Springs, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of bolster-springs which arecomposed of spiral coils mounted on the bolster and supporting the bodyof the vehicle.

My present invent-ion consists chiefly in the employment of a pluralityof spiral coilsprings of unequal lengths secured to elasticsupporting-plates, and so distributed over the lengths of said plates asto equalize the resistances at opposite ends of the bolster and at thesame time cause the shorter coils to be brought into action after thelonger coils have been partly compressed, and then assist the latter incarrying the load, thus forming a graduated bolster-spring of superiorefficiency and durability.

The invention is fullyillustrated in the an:

neXed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear end view of a vehicle minusits wheels and showing my improved graduated bolster-spring applied tosaid part of the vehicle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of theaforesaid graduated bolster-spring. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of thesame. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections, respectively, onlines 5c and y y, in Figs. 2 and 3 and Fig. 6 is a detached top planView of one of the socket-plates 0r step-plates for one of the endcoils.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the axle; B, the bolster; O O, the stakes, secured to theend portions of the bolster in the usual and well-known manner,

and D denotes the body of the wagon.

Z) Z) Z) I) represent spiral coil springs, which may be eithercylindrical or conical shaped, and formed either of round or square orrectangular bars of spring-steel. Said coils are of unequal lengths andare distributed over the length of the bolster B, preferably with thelonger coils b I) over the ends of the bolster and with the shortercoils h 1) between the longer coils, as best seen in Fig. 2 of thedrawings.

Under the bottoms and over the tops of the aforesaid coils I placeelastic bearing-plates a and a of spring-steel, to which I secure thecoils by means of socket-plates c c and c 0, attached to the plates a aby either rivets or bolts, and tie-bolts e e passing through the centersof the socket-plates c c, in which the central short coils b b areseated. These socket-plates I preferably form with hollow central hubs,which project downward from the upper plates and upward from the lowerplates; and receive the heads and nuts of the tie-bolts, and thusobviate interference of the ends of the bolts with the underlyingbolster and superimposed parts. By tightening the nuts on said tie-boltsthe central portions of the plates a a are drawn toward each other, soas to bring the socket-plates c c to bear on the ends of the short coilsZ) Z). The resistance of the longer coils on the ends of the plates at acauses the latter to be sprunginto bowed shape, the lower bar (0assuming the shape of an arch, while the upper bar a is drawn into theshape of an inverted arch. In this mannerI obtainabolster-spring inwhich leaf-springs are combined with coil-springs interposed betweensaid leaf-springs. The socket-plates c c serve to prevent lateral displacement of the coil-springs.

To guard against displacement of the socket plates 0 c on thebearing-plates a a in. case the bolts or rivets become accidentallyloosened, I form the said socket-plates with flanges d cl, which abutagainst the side edges of the bearing-plates a a.

The socket-plates c c on the ends of the bearing-plates a a, I form withguides f f, which engage the stakes O O at the front and rear sidesthereof, and thus serve to maintain the coil-springs in a verticalposition.

In order to allow the described bolsterspring to be adjusted to bolstersof different lengths, I form the ends of the bearing-plates a a withlongitudinal slots 5 2', through which pass the bolts t t, which attachthe socketplates 0 c to the aforesaid bearing-plates. By loosening thebolts 1525 the aforesaid socketplates can be slipped inward or outwardon. the plates at a, as may be required to bring them into the requisiteposition to allow the guides f f to properly engage the stakes C O, andthen by tightening said bolts the said socket-plates are retained intheir adjusted positions.

My improved bolster-spring can be readily adjusted to the desiredtension by tightening or loosening the nuts on the tie-bolts c c.

Having described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. A graduated wagon-bolster spring consisting of an arching leaf-springseated on the bolster, coiled springs mounted on the end portions ofsaid leaf-spring, shorter spiral springs mounted on top of the raisedcentral portion of the aforesaid leaf-spring, and a leaf-spring mountedon top of the aforesaid spiral springs and curved reverse from thebottom leaf spring and tied to the central portion thereof,substantially as set forth.

v2. lhe combination, with a wagon bolster and body, of a plate mountedon the bolster lengthwise thereof, coil-springs of unequal heightsdistributed over the length of said plate, an elastic plate extendingover the row of coil-springs, and tie-bolts passing through the shortcoils and aforesaid plates, substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination, with the wagon bolster and body, of an elastic platemounted 011 the bolster lengthwise thereof, coil springs mounted on theend portions of said plate, shorter coil-springs mounted on the centralportion of said plate, an elastic plate extending over the row ofcoil-springs, and tie-bolts drawing the central portions of theaforesaid plates against the'ends of the central coilsprings, as setforth.

4. A wagon-bolster spring composed of elastic bearing -plates disposedone above the other and lengthwise of the bolster, socketplates securedto the adjacent sides of said bearing-plates at the central and endportions thereof, coil-springs seated in saidsocketplates,andtie-boltsdrawingthebearing-plates toward each other, asset forth and shown.

5. A wagon-bolster spring composed of elastic bearing-plates disposedone above the other and lengthwise of the bolster, socketplates securedto the adjacent sides of said bearing-plates at the central and endportions thereof, coil-springs in the soeketaplates on the end portionsof the bearing-plates, shorter coil-springs seated in the centralsocket-plates, and tie-bolts passing through the latter plates anddrawing the central portions of the bearing-plates toward each other,substantially as set forth and shown.

6. In combination with the Wagon bolster, two spring-plates disposed oneabove the other and lengthwise of the bolster, socketplates secured tothe adjacent sides of the plates engaging spring-plates at the centraland end portions thereof, guides onsaid socket-plates engaging thestakes of the bolster, coil-springs seated in the outer socket-plates,shorter coil-sprin gs seated in the central socket-plates, and tieboltsdrawing the central portions of the spring-plates toward each other,substantially as described and shown. I

7 In combination with the wagon bolster and body, two spring-platesdisposed one above the other and lengthwise of the bolster, coil-springsinterposed between the end portions of said spring-plates, shortercoil-springs interposed between the central portions of said plates,tie-bolts drawing the central portions of the spring-plates toward eachother, and nuts on said tie-bolts for adjusting the tension of thecoil-springs, substantially as described and shown.

8. In combination with the wagon bolster and body, a plurality ofcoil-springs distributed over the length of the bolster, plates uponsaid coil-springs, guides on the outer the stakes of the bolster, abearing-plate extending over the row of aforesaid plates and supportedthereon, and provided with longitudinal slots in its end portions, andbolts passing through said slots and adj ustably connecting thesubjacent plates to the bearing-plate, substantially as described andshown. 7

9. In combination with the wagon bolster and body, spring-platesdisposed one above the other and lengthwise of the bolster, and providedwith longitudinal slots in their end portions, socket-plates adjustablysecured to said end portions of the spring-plates by bolts passingthrough the aforesaid slots, coilsprings seatedin said socket-plates,socketplates secured to the central portions of the spring-plates,shorter coil-springs seated in the latter socket-plates, and tie-boltsconnected to the central socket-plates and drawing the central portionsof the spring-plates toward each other.

10. In combination with the wagon bolster and body, spring-platesdisposed one above the other and lengthwise of the bolster, and providedwith longitudinal slots in their end portions, socket-plates adjustablyconnected to said end portions of the spring-plate by bolts passingthrough the aforesaid slots, guides on said socket-plates engaging thestakes of the bolster, coil-springsseated in said socket-plates,socket-plates secured to the central portions of the spring-plates,shorter coil-springs seated in the latter socket-plates, tie-boltsconnected to the central socketplates, and nuts on said tie-boltsdrawing the central portions of the spring-plates toward each other andadjusting the tension of the coil-springs, substantially as describedand shown.

11. In combination with the wagon bolster and body, two spring-platesdisposed one above the other and lengthwise of the bolster,socket-plates secured to the adjacent sides of the spring-plates at thecentral and end portions thereof, and provided With flanges engaging theside edges of the spring-plates,

-c0il-springs seated in the outer socket-plates,

shorter coil-springs seated in the inner socket-plates, and tie-boltsdrawing the cen- WM. J. GREEN, MELVILLE GREEN.

